Pre-Surgery Psychological Screen

You want a what???

It has become increasingly common for surgeons to require patients to pass a psychological screening before agreeing to perform certain types of orthopedic surgery.

At first glance the idea of a pre-surgical evaluation seems counter-intuitive. How could a psychological evaluation possibly predict the outcome of an orthopedic surgery?

Or as more than one client has commented to me, “What the hell does this have to do with my back?”

There is a reason for what appears an unconnected request.

However, the success of many surgical procedures depends not only on the skill of the surgeon and the use of state-of-the-art technology, but also on the actions and characteristics of the patient.

The patient’s emotional and psychosocial concerns, health-related behaviors, outcome expectations, and compliance with treatment regimen can all strongly influence the ultimate effectiveness of surgery.

In the case of back surgeries, psychological factors have been shown to be more accurate predictors of outcome than MRIs.

What is involved in the screening?

The presurgical psychological screening evaluation takes around three hours to complete and involves taking a battery of tests and a one-hour, semi-structured interview.

After I have compiled the results, I will write a report to your surgeon summarizing findings with a recommendation as to whether surgery is advisable. If it is not, I will provide other treatment options.

The goal of this process is to ensure that you are given the treatments most likely to be effective, while reducing the chances of worsening your condition.

Let’s make sure you are ready for surgery.